Villa Pisani is a Venetian villa interesting from the architectural and historical point of view with inside also a unique challenge: the most difficult to solve maze that is found in Italy.
This residence is located a few kilometers from Venice and Padua, in the municipality of Stra, overlooking the river Brenta.
It is also known as “Queen of the Venetian Villas” and why it is enclosed in the monumental architecture that recalls the essence of the houses built for the Venetian nobles at the turn of the fifteenth and nineteenth century. The baroque façade is characterized by the central temple, the large trio decorated with statues and the two typical side parts. Inside you can still get lost among the rooms furnished in the style of the time; among the most famous is the ballroom because of the frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo.
Who made Villa Pisani: the history in brief
The Venetian villa was built to celebrate the influential family Pisani di Santo Stefano in the eighteenth century on a pre-existing structure: when it was built Villa Pisani coincides with the appointment of Alvise Pisani as Doge of the Republic of Venice in the thirteenth.
After a period under the control of Napoleon, the house passed to the Habsburgs and became one of the most beloved holiday spots of the empress, Except then become the property of the State following the annexation of the Serenissima to the Kingdom of Italy and after National Museum at the end of the nineteenth century.
In those years, the “villa of the villas” has hosted prominent political personalities of the time, from Alexander I of Russia to Ferdinand II of Naples to Victor Emmanuel II and others.
In the first half of the twentieth century, after a period of unfortunate events, the villa was restored in view of the first formal meeting between Mussolini and Hitler.
Discovering the most difficult maze in Italy
The park of Villa Pisani houses a garden characterized by a geometric design designed by Girolamo Frigimelica Roberti and scenic elements. It is here that the most difficult maze in Italy is located.
The maze of boxwood hedges leads to a tower with a spiral staircase surmounted by the statue of Minerva. In that place, in the time of otium, a courtship game took place in which a masked lady waited for the suitor to reach her to reveal her identity.
The tower allows you to enjoy a panoramic view and discover the way out, otherwise difficult to find. In fact, the intricate design of nine concentric circles and high hedges create a physical and mental challenge. Some alleys are intertwined while others are blind, making it easier to lose orientation. According to legend, Napoleon himself surrendered to its complexity and failed to solve it.
In fact, the maze of hedges is not only a “game” of generous size, but an artistic and naturalistic masterpiece known for the complexity of its routes. With a little luck and skill, you can find the exit.
Is the maze visitable?
The maze is currently closed to the public pending restoration funded by PNRR funds, requested and approved.
On the contrary, except for the greenhouse and the west part, the rest of the park (as well as the internal spaces of Villa Pisani) can be visited by buying tickets. The visit is free on the first Sunday of each month.
The rest of the park of Villa Pisani
Besides the complex maze to be solved, the park of Villa Pisani stands out for the architecture of its creator (including the stables, the esedra with its side galleries and the tower of the labyrinth). Who created most of the statues in the park of Villa Pisani di Stra is instead Giovanni Bonazza.
Originally, the park was built with perspective references to the gardens of Versailles and adorned by huge statues, integrating everything with the Venetian tradition.
Among the distinctive features of the park is the Coffee House, a place for refreshment during walks located on a hollow artificial hill inside and surrounded by a moat where water would become ice in winter (which was used as an ice deposit in the warm months).
During the Napoleonic period, the park was equipped with an English grove and the areas dedicated to ornamental gardens were transformed into spaces for the cultivation of citrus.
It was the Austrian management who brought greater attention to botany with the introduction of tropical greenhouses and imposing trees. It is to this period that the second ice-house and the artificial mountain built in memory of the failed attack against the emperor Franz Joseph.
Today, the park of Villa Pisani is a unique oasis of biodiversity. This is also why it was awarded the “Most beautiful park in Italy” award in 2008.
Copertina : Unsplash